Yes, we had a forum for some of us doing the 100 pushup challenge, a couple years ago. The forum owner eventually deleted it, after we all petered out. 100 pushups turns out to be pretty tough, at least for most of us, especially when you try to do them retaining good form. I got close, but didn't accomplish 100 with decent form.

Yea AP lead that group of lunatics, I think I got to be able to do 85 at once. Trying to get to that high a number was daunting, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting into pushups, situps, and lately for me, pullups. It's all good core building stuff.

Didn't we have to do this as part of the "President's Physical Fitness Test" that all 6th grade kids had to complete? Maybe it wasn't 100 push-ups, but it was definitely 100 sit-ups and maybe 100 push-ups (?), and a 600-yard run in 2 minutes. 40 years later I can still remember everyone walking around the next day hunched over with sore abs (which of course meant everyone was slugging everyone in the gut...). Do they even still do this?

mta: When I was in shoulder & arm rehab, after my rotator cuff started to recover some muscle, they had me doing push-ups on a stability board (skiers will know this as a bongo board) -- which is a board on top of a roller (looks like ---O--- ), so you have to stabilize the board will doing the push-up. Very hard. I can do 20 - 30 normal push-ups, and maybe 5 on the bongo board. Do this if you want to become a push-up monster.

If we lived in a world without tears...how would scars find skin To etch themselves into;

Has anyone tried the 100 push-up or 200 sit-up challenges? Do these plans make any sense? Are they worth while?

I have no fitness equipment, and want to add some simple core strength training to my routine following my marathon later this month.

Thanks.

Core strength doing body weight exercises makes huge sense for runners. But picking high numbers like these for a specific exercise is a stunt. Plus, the programs look like they progress rather quickly and I wouldn't be surprised if the risk of injury was significant.

You'd be better off doing, say, half a dozen different exercises with reasonable repetitions than just a couple with high numbers.

I did both programs on and off for a couple of years as an add-on to my strength routine. They also have a 200 squat program that works in the same way, which I followed as well. The first time I did it I went from being able to do 2 pushups to being able to do 80 with good form, and then a second set of 20, so I'd say they work.

The first weeks are easier, but after that they ramp up pretty quickly so I had to repeat the last weeks a few times before I got it. I was still pretty happy and surprised that I was able to do so many pushups in that amount of time. The sit-ups they recommend are more like crunches, to prevent back injury.

Now I need more variety in my routine, like MrH recommended, but it's a good start.

If I had a dollar for every time I said that, I'd be making money in a very weird way. - Mitch Hedberg

Didn't we have to do this as part of the "President's Physical Fitness Test" that all 6th grade kids had to complete? Maybe it wasn't 100 push-ups, but it was definitely 100 sit-ups and maybe 100 push-ups (?), and a 600-yard run in 2 minutes. 40 years later I can still remember everyone walking around the next day hunched over with sore abs (which of course meant everyone was slugging everyone in the gut...). Do they even still do this?

My kid sister never had to, but I remember hating the President's Challenge. A few years ago they brought it back for adults, and a friend signed me up. They sent me a fridge magnet with the words PRESIDENTS CHALLENGE AWARD in huge letters, and at the bottom in tiny print, "participant."

If I had a dollar for every time I said that, I'd be making money in a very weird way. - Mitch Hedberg

Push ups are for wussys. Pullups (palm away) are much tougher and work alot of the upper body muscles(shoulders chest lats abs) at once.

Newbs can use a step to start out at the top and work at slowing their decent. Then work on doing one or two at a time. In between little sets, you can hang and swing your legs which is a great way to loosen up for running. Hang one in a door jam. Costs about $20.